title: Expression of lymphocyte antigenic determinants in developing gut-associated lymphoid tissue of the sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax (L.).
abstract: The monoclonal antibodies DLT15 and DLIg3, which recognize antigenic determinants expressed by T cells and Ig-bearing cells, respectively, allowed the development of gut-associated lymphoid tissue of the teleost fish Dicentrarchus labrax (L.) to be studied. DLT15-immunoreactive cells were first detected in the epithelium of the stomach and intestine at day 30 post-hatching of fish maintained at 16 degrees C. At that age, positive cells were found only in the thymus. Between day 44 and day 81 post-hatching, DLT15-immunoreactive cells became numerous, both in and under the gut epithelium. A gradient in the number of lymphocytes was present, concentrating them towards the anus. Until day 81 post-hatching, DLIg3-immunoreactive cells were not found in the gut, although they were present in the kidney, spleen and thymus earlier. Infrequent Ig-bearing cells were found in the gut mucosa of -year-old sea bass. This study showed that the gut-associated lymphoid tissue developed earlier than other lymphoid compartments. It also provided evidence of the predominance of T cells in the gut immune system of the sea bass.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Picchietti
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Terribili
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mastrolia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scapigliati
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abelli
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001492:Bass / Q000276:immunology*; D004064:Digestive System / Q000276:immunology*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology*; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000166:cytology*